Taxonomic Revision of Genus <i>Shangwua</i> Wang et al. (Asteraceae) in India

ABSTRACT Shangwua is an alpine genus with high medicinal value. However, despite its taxonomic and medicinal significance, there is a conspicuous lack of awareness and published information on Shangwua in the Indian context. Additionally, the lack of accurate understanding of the species identity has hampered the reliability of distribution records. Therefore, in this study, we have analyzed 22 names ascribed to three taxa of the genus Shangwua in India and examined more than 70 collections including fresh collections and herbarium specimens to fill the existing gaps in this genus. In this work, we have provided detailed descriptions, complete nomenclature details with type information; a list of synonyms, identification keys, geographical distributions, etc. for each taxon. We have also clarified the inconsistencies in the distribution record of all the taxa.